


Pretending not to be you

by Pengirl91



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-18 18:35:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21281360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pengirl91/pseuds/Pengirl91
Summary: Keeping your identity secret can be difficult at the best of times. After getting akumatized and remembering nothing, Cat Noir feels the need to tell Ladybug something important. And that's when things go crazy.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 9
Kudos: 109





	1. Chapter 1

"Ladybug, I need to tell you something." Cat Noir interrupted their silent vigil over the city. 

Ladybug hummed nonchalantly, her foot moving to the rhythm of whatever song was stuck in her head as she leaned back, using her arms to support her. She was the picture of contentment and he was about to ruin it but something had been weighing on his mind. "what is it Cat?"

Cat Noir pulled his knees to his chest, looking ahead. 

"It's about what happened yesterday." Her humming and foot tapping ceased. "I know you won't tell me what I did but you need to know about something I know that I don't think you know that I know and now Hawk Moth might know." Cat Noir winced. 

"Ok." Ladybug sat straighter, her eyes on him. He could see it in his peripheral. He kept looking ahead. 

"I know who Viperion is." There. He said it. It had bothered him since he found out he was akumatized. "I don't know if I told Hawk Moth that but. You should know."

"How did you find out?" She asked, eyes narrow. 

"Wouldn't answering that give you a clue to my identity." He said bitterly. "Besides it doesn't matter how I know. Luka's identity is compromised just like Marinette's."

"M-marinette's?"

Cat Noir gave her a look. "The girl you gave the mouse miraculous and told she could never have it again just because I knew her identity despite saving us both single handedly and being a natural at it." 

Ladybug smiled in what felt like a condescending way. "Right, Marinette. Well I was right then wasn't I?"

"You could have given her the miraculous again if it wasn't for yesterday." 

"Well it's a moot point now anyway."

"I guess."

"It's a shame about Luka though. He was doing a good job as the snake holder." She looked disappointed and was it him or was Ladybug blushing? 

"Sounds like someone had a crush on him." He teased. Her blush depened. Oh. OH! "Wait is that the boy you like!?"

"No!" She immediately denied, her face turning a darker red. He didn't believe her for a second. 

"Good. Cause you know he's dating someone right?" 

"He is?" She asked surprised. 

"Yeah, Marinette as it turns out. Wait is that the real reason you won't give her the mouse miraculous again?" 

To his surprise Ladybug laughed. He narrowed his eyes, confused. 

"I already told you why and I know for a fact that Marinette is not dating Luka. Well yet anyway." 

"She isn't?" He asked surprised. 

"Why do you care?" 

"She and I are friends now. That's all." He looked away. "Wait how do you know she isn't dating him?" 

"As it turns out, I've become friends with Marinette myself." She smiled smugly. 

"Really?"

"Hum uh." She was fighting back a laugh he could tell. "She's in love with another boy in her class."

"She is?" 

"Guess you aren't as close as you thought uh?"

"Who's the boy?"

Ladybug's smile finally became normal. "Adrien Agreste."


	2. Not all knowledge is good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote more. Still a bit OOC

Cat Noir gasped. Marinette was in love with him? Again? He blushed. She had fallen in love with Cat Noir but he thought she had moved on with Luka only no. She was now in love with his civilian side. Both sides. He had had no idea. 

"Are you sure?" He asked. 

"Yeah. Why?" 

Not again. He didn't want to break her heart again. Marinette was amazing. She deserved so much better. 

"What's wrong?" Ladybug asked concerned. 

"That's really unfortunate."

"Why?" She tensed. 

"He's in love with someone else." 

"Yeah. Quite the sad chain of broken hearts isn't it." 

She had no idea how true that was. Because Adrien loved her. Who apparently liked Luka. It was more of a circle.

"So you knew that already?"

She froze. "Only because Marinette told me." 

"Wait Marinette knows?" How! No one knew he loved Ladybug because no one knew he was Cat Noir. 

"Yeah this other girl Kagami."

Cat Noir coughed, choking on he had no idea what. Where had Marinette gotten that idea? Maybe it was best she think that. She was wrong about the who but not the being in love with someone else part. 

"And so she's ok with that?" 

Ladybug shrugged. "She's happy for them. Says she's just happy he's happy."

Only he wasn't but no reason to let Marinette know that either. 

"Wow. Although there's a solution here."

"Is there?" 

"You said she wasn't dating Luka yet. So she likes him. She could date him and then with him taken you could let him go and date me." He smirked. 

Ladybug laughed. "There's only one problem with that."

"Oh? And what's that?" 

"Luka isn't the boy I love." Uh, he thought he had guessed that one right. 

"Alright then who?"

"And why would I tell you?"

"Well you know who I'm in love with." He smirked. 

Ladybug laughed. "Silly Kitty."

"Pleaseee. I won't hunt him down and fight him for your heart I promise."

Ladybug gave a sad smile. "You wouldn't have to. He loves someone else."

"Well then I know who it is."

"You do?" She looked panicked. 

"Yeah, a completely insane person."

She laughed again. He smiled. He loved that sound. He loved causing that sound. 

"No. He doesn't know I like him."

"What? Why not?"

She rolled her eyes. "Because I haven't told him."

"I bet if you did he'd forget about the other girl. Half of Paris is in love with you."

She smiled. "I wouldn't tell him as Ladybug. That could never work."

"Minor detail. You're still you outside the mask."

She blushed. He also loved causing that. "And he still loves someone else."

"Well then my original position stands. This guy is an idiot."

"He's not. Really. I'm not exactly myself around him."

Cat Noir gave her a sympathetic look. "Love does that I guess." He looked away. She must really be taken with this guy. Lucky idiotic bastard. Although he wasn't alone in feeling this frustration. "I'm sorry he doesn't realize how amazing you are. I want you to be happy."

"I am." 

He almost believed her. 

"Still, I wish I could knock some sense into this guy."

"That's sweet but I'm ok. Really."

"Well you know where to find me when you're ready to move on."

"And what makes you think I'd turn to you?" Her eyes twinkling and smiling her teasing smile. Gosh that look made him weak. 

"Ouch. I'm not even second?" 

She rolled her eyes and gave no reply. Was he really not second?

"There's no second. Not yet."

"Yet." He smiled. He could work with that. 

She sighed. "I'm not worth waiting around for Cat."

"I one hundred percent disagree."

She gave him a sad smile. "No second?"

"After knowing it's only a matter of time before you fall for me? No way!"

"I didn't say that!"

"You didn't have to."

"Cat…"

"But tell you what. You tell me who you like and I'll try and move on again."

She narrowed her eyes. "Why would you agree to that?" 

He smiled. He wanted to know her type of course but he wasn't going to tell her that. "Do we have a deal or not?"

She sighed. "I'm telling you you should move on. I can't force you to listen." 

No deal then. He figured as much. 

"I should head home." She got up. 

Darn, did he drive her away? He got up as well. 

She gave him a speculative look and sighed. "Adrien Agreste."

His heart stopped. How had she guessed his identity?! He was about to say something when she turned away from him. 

"That's who I love." And she swung away. 

His jaw dropped and he fell to his knees. His heart beating out of his chest. She- wh- him?! Ladybug loved… him?! His breathing quickened. He searched frantically around him, no Ladybug in sight. A huge massive wrong had somehow occurred and he needed to fix it. The only question was how.


	3. The best laid plan

"There's m'lady!" Cat Noir happily landed next to her. He was so glad to have spotted her patrolling the city. It had been 22 hours since she had confessed to him, not that she knew that, and it had been the longest 22 hours of his life.

"What happened to trying to move on? I kept my end of the deal." She smirked.

He suppressed the knowing smile that threatened to ruin his plan. If only she knew who she was saying that to.

"Don't worry, I will." He put on his best disappointed look. It wasn't easy when his heart was still dancing. "I just thought you should know something."

"What's that?" She eyed him suspiciously. 

"Adrien isn't in love with Kagami." 

Her eyes were all surprise until she narrowed them. "Why are you telling me this?"

"You deserve to be happy." He shrugged. "Especially since I know... well, I know the girl Adrien loves is actually you." 

"I- No, that doesn't make sense." Ladybug frowned. "He barely knows me."

"He told me himself."

"You spoke to him!" She seemed terrified. "You didn't tell him how I feel did you?"

Technically… "No."

Ladybug finally relaxed and laughed, the joy he expected finally coming out. "I can't believe this. I- how? When?"

He suppressed a chuckle. "Does it matter? You can go to him now." 

Her face fell. "Go to him?"

"Tell Adrien how you feel." He did his best to hide his excitement. 

"I can't do that."

He didn't have to fake his confusion "What? Why not?"

"How would that even work? I can't date anyone as _Ladybug_."__

_ _"Sure you could."_ _

_ _"People would find out. Hawk Moth could find out. I can't put him in danger like that."_ _

_ _"You could tell him as your civilian self." He blurted without thinking._ _

_ _"And set myself up for rejection? He won't know it's me." _ _

_ _Cat Noir didn't know what else to say. She was right. Even if she did tell him, either he wouldn't realize it was her and turn her down or he would and she would have to give up her miraculous as a result. How had this completely backfired? They loved each other. Why couldn't it be simple? _ _

_ _Ladybug hugged her sides, shoulders low. "There's nothing I can do. Not until Hawk Moth is defeated anyway."_ _

_ _It took every ounce of self-control not to reveal himself right there and then. He loved being Cat Noir. Would he give that up?_ _

_ _"I should continue patrol. Thanks for what you were trying to do." She swung away. He watched her leave, dejected. They were so close and yet so far. _ _

_ _One option remained. Somehow, he needed to get Ladybug to fall in love with his alter-ego. A task that would no doubt be more difficult by the fact that she now knew Adrien loved her back. _ _

_ _Cat Noir kicked a nearby rock. He had essentially shot himself in the foot all while causing his lady heartache. But she had apparently fallen in love with him once. Surely she could fall in love with him again. Right?_ _


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changed the rating to teen just to be safe.

Adrien liked her! Ladybug-her anyway. She had no idea when it could have happened. She had only interacted with him a few times as Ladybug but still… She was the girl he loved. 

Wait, something about that didn't make sense. 

_I'm not great at jokes. The girl I love tells me so all the time._

She had never told Adrien that. Even less 'all the time'. Cat Noir must have got it wrong. How did he even know Adrien? Cat Noir was a good fencer so maybe he was in Adrien's fencing class. 

Marinette stopped that train of thought cold. She couldn't find out his identity. She wouldn't pry into it. 

She did want answers though. 

*****

The plan was simple. Be himself. Ladybug had fallen in love with him as Adrien so Cat Noir just had to be a bit more Adrien. 

He wondered how Ladybug, given their few interactions, could have fallen in love with him. 

Was she a fan of his? Or did they know each other outside the masks? If so then wh- 

He spotted Ladybug coming his way. His smile instantly grew as his heart beat faster. Just be yourself he reminded himself. 

"Hey Kitty. Ready for our patrol?" She got her yoyo ready to leave. 

He took in her slumped look and tired face. 

"Are you ok Ladybug?" It was weird not using one of his many nicknames for her but part of just being his Adrien self meant less flirting. 

She stared at him in shock for a second. 

"Yeah I'm fine." She said in one of the saddest tones he had ever heard. 

"Well that was a poor lie. What's going on?"

She hesitated before finally putting her yoyo away. He smiled encouragingly at her. 

"It's about what you said the other day." 

He froze. 

"I think you must have gotten it wrong. I can't be the girl Adrien loves." 

How on earth did she come to that conclusion?  
Her very unnecessary heart break over him nearly had him transforming back right then and there. 

"What makes you say that?" He asked. 

She shrugged. "Just something he told me once." 

He blinked at her. What could he have possibly have said to her to make her think that? Unless…

"As a civilian?" He attempted. 

Her startled eyes found his. He was right wasn't he? Oh man. He did know Ladybug. The civilian Ladybug. 

"You know him outside the mask don't you?" He pushed. He had to check, had to be sure. His slightly agape mouth was going dry at the excitement he felt. 

Ladybug blushed and looked away. "I- that's not important." She crossed her arms, hugging herself. "He told me once that the girl he loves tells him all the time that he makes bad jokes and I never did so…"

Wait. He remembered that conversation. "Oh my- Marinette?!" He stared at her, jaw to the floor. 

She startled and looked at him with an equal expression of shock. 

Cat Noir laughed. "Of course it's you! Man, that makes so much _sense_. I always felt like there was more between us. But I thought maybe- I mean because of how much I loved Ladybug but it turns out you're Ladybug!" He laughed again. They loved each other! He was the other boy. "I even wondered if it was you. During that whole kwami buster fiasco. But then I saw you two next to each other and- how did you even _do_ that?"

Ladybug was still staring at him in disbelief. "How did you-" 

_ _"Time travel? Is that how? That's what happened last time there were two of you. I can't believe this! Marinette!" He grabbed her hand. "I'm so relieved it's you." He smiled. _ _

_ _She yanked her hand back. Bringing both of them to her head as she started pacing. "I'm going to have to give my miraculous back. This is a disaster! How- how did you figure it out!?" She spun on him, eyes in a panic._ _

_ _If she was going to give up her miraculous than so was he. _ _

_ _He took a step towards her, attempting a reassuring smile but he was still far too gleeful that it probably didn't come across that way. "Plagg, claws off." His smile widened as he watched her face go from worry to disbelief and shock. _ _

_ _"Adrien?!" Her voice cracked at the end. _ _

_ _He ran towards her, grabbing both her hands. He had daydreamed about this so many times, he couldn't believe it was actually happening. _ _

_ _"We're free now! We can be together. After all this time!" _ _

_ _"Ad- But- I-" _ _

_ _He had broken her. He shut his mouth. She needed to process this just like still was. He smiled at her patiently. _ _

_ _Her breathing was fast. Too fast? Was she hyperventilating? He wasn't sure how to help. He started to worry until she broke into a nervous laugh. _ _

_ _"I- I can't believe this! All this time?" She laughed some more and he couldn't help but join her. "No wonder I kissed you during that whole Oblivio mess!" _ _

_ _He grinned. "I knew part of you like me!" _ _

_ _"I always wondered but with my feelings for Adrien-" She laughed again. "Master Fu won't be happy with this."_ _

_ _"Unless we don't tell him." He joked. _ _

_ _"That's not a good idea. Putting smelling cheese in a box doesn't stop it from smelling." Plagg floated up to their faces. _ _

_ _"He's right." Ladybug's face fell. "I'm going to lose Tikki." _ _

_ _His eyes darted to his own kwami. He was going to lose Plagg. His Cat Noir freedom. He stared back at Marinette, seeing his pain mimicked on her face. _ _

_ _"I'm sorry m'lady. This is all my fault." He looked away. They never should have talked about their civilian lives. Ladybug stepped closer to him and laid a hand on his cheek, gently telling him to look at her. _ _

_ _"At least we found each other." She gave him a bittersweet smile that he returned. _ _

_ _"At least there's that." He grabbed her other hand. "What do you say m'lady? One last evening as superheroes?"_ _

_ _She giggled. "I guess so. I'll miss being Ladybug." She dropped the hand on his cheek. He took the opportunity to lean forward and kiss her cheek. _ _

_ _"You'll always be Ladybug. With or without the miraculous. Come on, race you to the Eiffel tower. Claws out!" He made for the edge of the roof but Ladybug pulled him back. _ _

_ _"Wait." She whispered, closing the distance between them and wrapping her arms around his neck. He smiled as he realized what she was asking. He leaned in, closing his eyes, the last thing he saw was Ladybug doing the same. He couldn't believe this was happening. He had wanted this since the day they met. Hia heart was going haywire, his senses on high alert. Neither one of them breathed as they finished closing the gap and something inside him awoke to the feeling of her lips on his and their bodies pressed together. He wrapped his arms around her as well. Feeling the small of her back and the back of her neck. She was strength and warmth and love.  
At some point he must have started breathing because now it quickened as he moved his lips against hers. Feeling a thrill travel down his body as he felt her soft lips respond in fervor and her hands twist to grab onto his hair and pull him closer, further deepening the kiss. It wasn't how imagine it. It was better. He took it all in. The faint taste of mint on her lips. The feel of her strong muscles contract at her minute movements as she continued to kiss him. To drown him in kisses. He never wanted to stop. One of her hands moved down to rest on his chest, sending another thrill, this one causing goosebumps. He moved the hand on her neck to her cheek, gently caressing it. She did the same as their kissing slowed and, like a train finally approaching its destination, their lips slowly parted. He opened his eyes to see her beautiful blue ones, full of joy, staring into his, a gentle smile on her lips. He smiled fully in turn. _ _

_ _"Wow." He whispered, causing her to giggle. "Now I really wish I could remember our other kisses." _ _

_ _"Our first one wasn't nearly this good what with you not exactly being yourself. Besides, I think it's safe to say there'll be others." She smiled shyly. He grinned in reply. _ _

_ _"I'd like that." _ _

_ _*****_ _

_ _Master Fu hummed as he prepared his morning tea. It was a wonder what a bright sunny day and a good night's sleep could do for moral. The soft chime for his front door at him looking at the clock. His first client was quite a bit early. _ _

_ _"Master?" Ladybug's unmistakable choice called to him from behind him. She didn't sound panicked so he guessed it wasn't an akuma attack that brought her here. _ _

_ _"Good morning Ladybug." He voiced back as he finished poring the water for his tea and slowly turned around. He froze as he saw not only Marinette but Adrien as well as their two kwamis floating beside them looking morose. His eyes zeroed in on their holding hands. _ _

_ _"I see." He finally said after the shock subsided. He knew this was bound to happen one day. _ _

_ _Paris' superheroes shared a bittersweet smile. A look no doubt conveying much more. They really were perfect for each other. He smiled approvingly. Young love was beautiful. _ _

_ _A crash and yelling from outside had them all turning to the window where what looked like a T-Rex foot passed by. _ _

_ _"Well, what are you waiting for?" He turned around to face his tea again. He could feel rather than see their grins as they rushed out. He saw them as their transformed selves through the window even more in sync than usual. _ _

_ _Maybe it could work after all._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This started out as a one shot crack fic that I got a bit more inspiration for. Thanks to Kasienda for nudging me to finish it!


End file.
